When does High Rank unlock in Monster Hunter Wilds?

When you begin your hunt in Monster Hunter Wilds, you begin in Low Rank, which is essentially the game’s version of easy mode to get players used to the game before dropping some of the hardest bosses around in High Rank.

For returning hunters, High Rank is truly where the game begins, as you get access to some of the best weapons, armor, and skills to fine-tune your builds across the various weapons and unlock a lot of the map and the full roster of monsters to face off against. But when does High Rank begin?

How to unlock High Rank in Monster Hunter Wilds

High Rank is gradually unlocked as you go through Monster Hunter Wilds main story. Once you face off against the Low Rank Story Boss Zoh Shia, this is where Low Rank begins to fade away.

When facing off against Zoh Shia, it’s essential to equip weapons with a Dragon element to exploit its main weaknesses. You can see a complete list of its weaknesses per part below, or check out our massive weakness chart for every monster weakness in-game.

Once you beat Zoh Shia, you won’t unlock High Rank yet. You’ll first need to complete the first Low Rank-post mission, which has you capture a Yian Kut-Ku from the Wudwud NPC in the Forest biome—the first in a long series of High Rank quests. As soon as you complete it, High Rank will officially unlock, and the world will completely change, spawning in higher ranked materials at Mining Outcrops and Bonepiles, as well as new Monster Materials that’ll make your past Low Rank armor obsolete.

All of the locations per map will be the same, but you’ll be able to get better loot. It’s important you swap out your Low Rank armor for new High Rank weapons and armor as soon as possible. Otherwise, you’ll get one shot the further you go on.